For the 11th successive year, HBP Systems has won the right to call itself a Microsoft Gold-Certified Partner - making it the only IT supplier of its kind to hold that status in an area of about 1,500 square miles.

"Beyond our operation in Scunthorpe and Hull, there are no other gold partners nearer than Lincoln, York or Leeds," said the HBP Systems Commercial Director, Phil Denham.

"We’re particularly proud to have earned the right to keep the status because not only is it one of the hardest accreditations there is, but it becomes harder and harder to achieve as every year goes by. Having that title means we have reached the highest standards required by Microsoft's partnership programme."

Achieving the standard puts HBP Systems in the country’s top 100 IT software and systems suppliers.

Microsoft says its Gold-Certified Partners have a high level of competence and expertise with Microsoft technologies, as well as have best-in-class capabilities for deploying particular Microsoft business solutions.

This year, securing accreditation has involved more work with Microsoft’s cloud-based products of Office 365 and Azure, desktop and server tools respectively.

Read More

Phil said: "Our growth as a company has contributed to our success, but it's also about keeping abreast of technology, and the ability to put reliability into customers’ IT networks, and providing the best system for them.

"Cloud computing can be the answer for some companies, but others find that isn’t necessarily the case, and they like to go down a more traditional route. Because of our approach, and our Gold Partner status, we are able to work with them to work out and implement the best solution for them."

HBP Systems has recently updated its own IT network, which is another way it supports customers, said Phil.

"Upgrading our network has allowed us to heighten our security still further, and update our Cyber Essentials accreditation. We were an early voluntary adopted of that scheme, because we believe that companies will soon be taken the issue of supply chain security much more seriously, and expect to have confidence not only in their own security, but also in the security of customers and suppliers to ensure everyone is protected," Phil said.